According to OGJ, Ecuador had 345 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas reserves as of January 2006. There is negligible domestic demand or support infrastructure for natural gas. The only large-scale natural gas project in Ecuador is the Amistad field, located in the Gulf of Guayaquil, which produced an estimated 30 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) during the first half of 2007. All of Amistad's natural gas production flows to Noble's Machala facility, a 130-megawatt (MW), onshore, gas-fired power plant that supplies electricity to the Guayaquil region.

Ecuador's oil industry produces a significant amount of natural gas as part of their operations: oil operators produced 118 MMcf/d of natural gas during the first half of 2007. However, most of that natural gas is flared, due to a lack of infrastructure to capture it. Ecuador’s lack of infrastructure to develop natural gas reserves or capture associated gas production is a contributing factor to the imbalance in its refined product trade. For example, natural gas could provide an alternative for imported LPG, which is principally used for residential heating and cooking. In addition, increased natural gas production could supply more gas-fired power plants, replacing expensive diesel generators.